Buckets applied to loader earthmovers or tractors, or front end loaders, for handling materials are common in the industry. These conventional material buckets for loaders are applied for handling, scraping and loading surface or application materials, such as dirt and asphalt, and material handling operations including leveling, grading, hauling, front-end loading, clam shell operating, and bulldozing. However, there has been a recognized need, such as in the loader material handling industry, for a material handling bucket allowing an operator to neatly load material while simultaneously operating multiple loader controls, and doing so without spilling application material out of the front and side of the bucket.
The need for increased bucket maneuverability and handling capacity have been recognized. Conventional material handling buckets require heavy and expensive rocker arm linkages to pivot the bucket relative to the loader boom or lifting arm. Other conventional material handling buckets, while having in some instances a two-section bucket arrangement in a pivoting configuration, still have the disadvantage of being limited in lateral scope for loading and in their loading capacity, for handling application material, being confined to angular adjustments.
Additionally, the problem of material spillage off the sides of the dozer portion of a bucket has long been recognized.
As well, the mechanical problem of bucket side gates being in the way for offloading during traditional loader bucket use has long been recognized.
In the construction industry, the current, conventional standard for material handling buckets is the so-called “4-in-1 bucket”, having a single pivot point of which the clam portion of the bucket, the bucket front half in a two section bucket, hinges in a radial, pivoting manner. In order to scrape a ground surface in a parallel, lateral manner the operator must, simultaneously tilt the dozer section, or the bucket back half, and close the clam, or bucket front half, in a proper sequence and rate. This is difficult and imprecise process for most operators.
When a clam, or front bucket section or half, is closed against the bucket back half and still in contact with the ground surface, the conventional bucket is not tilted in the fully loaded position which allows for material spillage out the front of the bucket in conventional material handling bucket apparatus. Again, the clam shell or bucket front half in these conventional earthmovers and loaders has limited lateral reach on the ground surface due to the fixed pivot point in the two section bucket. In the conventional, current prior art the bucket during the hauling process is laid down when the application material is scooped or gathered, and the material then will spill out when the bucket closes. Removable containment side gates could enhance the capabilities of the bucket by keeping application material contained in the bucket without spillage outside of the dozer, the bucket back half section.
The current clam shell type, two section buckets found in the construction industry only pivot on a singular axis, open and close. A need has been recognized to provide an operator with the ability to doze application material with the bucket back half section, with the clam portion, the bucket front half section, being open, then to close the clam, bucket front half, down on the bucket back half in order to gather a higher volume of a load of the application material.
The references described in the related art do not disclose features of the present invention and would not be as suitable for the required purpose of the present invention hereinafter described. Material bucket handling apparatuses for loaders and earthmovers are found in the related art, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,762 to Harms et al. (“Harms”) and U.S. Pat. No. 3,341,041 to Salna (“Salna”). Harms discloses a bucket having slots that allow for horizontal travel of a leveling device. Salna discloses a bucket with a pivot allowing moving material from a clam shell; there is no horizontal travel of the clam shell relative to the bucket. The references described in the related art do not disclose features of the present invention, including, a linkage provided on the sides of the bucket including a pair of parallel slots for connecting the clam to the bucket and extending the reach of the clam, the clam adapted to travel parallel to the ground surface and then pivot upwardly at the end of travel. As well, Salna discloses a bucket having a front and rear (or back) sections (or halves) pivoting about a common axis.
None of the prior art references suggest the present invention. Although Harms discloses a slot provided on the sides of a leveling device, the slot is for the purpose of pushing downwardly. While Salna discloses a clam and bucket, the pivot in Salna is fixed and does not extend the reach of the clam in a direction parallel to the ground. Neither of these references suggest, teach or support combining with, modifying, each other or any other reference in a manner that would suggest the present invention, or would otherwise function in the manner of the present invention.
None of the references in the prior art contain every feature of the present invention, and none of these references in combination disclose, suggest or teach every feature of the present invention. The present invention is neither disclosed nor suggested by the prior art.
The foregoing and other objectives, advantages, aspects, and features of the present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon consideration of the detailed description of a preferred embodiment, presented below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.